Time is money: save both and shop online this Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.

Thanksgiving

The Tradition: Falling on the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving used to only be celebrated as a national day of giving thanks. Fast-forward a few hundred years, and football crept into the equation. Now, the fact that some brick-and-mortar stores are opening their doors and staffing up for the federal holiday is shrouding Thanksgiving in controversy. Stores such as Nordstrom and Dillard’s are notably closed on Thanksgiving to give their associates time with their families. Others, like Kmart, are opening at the ungodly hour of 6 a.m. What about tradition? Next thing we know, kids in schools will be learning about door buster shopping strategies instead of the pilgrims … but really, what’s next?

The Big Picture: Media is calling it Black Thursday, saying it’s the start to one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year (the National Retail Federation projects that retail sales for November and December in 2014 will hit $616.9 billion.) At Offers.com, we like the tradition of spending time with and giving thanks for the people who matter to us most (and stuffing our faces full of turkey, mashed potatoes, and the delicious apple cake Aunt Laura always brings). Our compromise? Celebrate Thanksgiving (that’s really what day it is, folks) with family and friends, and enjoy the big feast. Then, while everyone is digesting their food, watching football, or napping, grab your nearest tablet and shop online.

IBM also found that online Thanksgiving Day sales peaked at 10:25 p.m. EST. Makes sense to us – even on the West coast, by then most have finished their meals and are watching football. We only expect this trend to continue in 2014.

Our Advice: If you want to make sure the inventory is decent, shop the door busters online before the 10:25 p.m. EST peak time of last year. Besides, though many stores are bucking the trend of opening their doors Thanksgiving Day, they still will be offering deals online. You’ll end up saving yourself loads of frustration, time, and money.

Black Friday

The Tradition: The term Black Friday is synonymous with steep discounts, crowded stores, and sensational news stories about stampeding customers racing to snatch up the year’s must-have item. The day after Thanksgiving is when many Americans – stuffed from the previous day’s repast – head out to shop for deals and escape another one of Grandpa’s unending stories about how things were “Back in my day…”

The Big Picture: The most widely-held explanation of the term “Black Friday” comes from the fact that many retailers operate at a loss all year. The busy shopping day after Thanksgiving is when they start to turn a profit – moving their margins “into the black.”

The use of the term Black Friday originally dates back to Philadelphia in the 1960s (the actual first “documented” use of the term is in much dispute), when the city’s police force derisively used “Black Friday” to refer to the day after Thanksgiving, when crowds descended on downtown stores and caused mammoth traffic jams in the streets, packed sidewalks, and an abundance of shoplifters.

It wasn’t until 1985 that the name really took hold and became the moniker we all know so well. Rather than being associated with the mayhem that the Philadelphia police first noted, Black Friday now heralds the start of holiday shopping and the onslaught of discounts to encourage shoppers to buy at the best prices of the year (whether that can still be referred to as “mayhem” is in the eye of the beholder.)

Our Advice: It sounds strangely similar to what we recommended for Thanksgiving: shop online to find equally good deals, and save yourself the frustration of braving the lines, crowds, and low inventory. Besides, supposed “door busters” are designed to get you into the store, and you get them only if you’re lucky (and willing to wait or even camp in ridiculously long lines). Further, they often are clearance models the stores are trying to get rid of, so they may not be as good a deal as they appear.

Offers.com’s survey found that of those shopping on Black Friday, 20% planned to shop primarily online.

According to comScore, Inc., in 2013, desktop and mobile Black Friday shopping resulted in about $1.5 billion in sales. Sounds like a tried-and-true plan.

Small Business Saturday

The Tradition: Though American Express created Small Business Saturday only in 2010, it has integrated itself into one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. In fact, according to a survey commissioned by the National Federation of Independent Businesses and American Express, consumers spent about $5.7 billion on Small Business Saturday in 2013.

The Big Picture: Falling the Saturday after Thanksgiving, American Express created Small Business Saturday to bring more customers to small businesses. It states “the shop small movement makes an impact on neighborhoods across the country.” We couldn’t agree more.

Our Advice: Though many small businesses won’t be online – many will. Regardless, support local businesses and community growth (it gets back to the tradition of “giving thanks,” after all). The stores offer many products you won’t find at national chains, such as artisan crafts, locally-grown foods, and personalized gifts.

Cyber Monday

The Tradition It may be hard to believe, or even remember, but Cyber Monday hasn’t been around for long. Back in 2005, Shop.org, the digital retail division of the National Retail Federation, analyzed its data around consumer shopping, and noted that the Monday after Thanksgiving was one of the biggest online shopping days of the year. It ingeniously coined the term Cyber Monday on November 28, 2005, in a concerted effort to drive online shopping. It worked. Today, the use of the term Cyber Monday stretches as far as Chile, Ireland, and Japan.

The Big Picture: If you consider yourself to be savvy and want to avoid the insanity that is the mall on Black Friday, then you’re just the type of person who appreciates Cyber Monday; data suggests you are not alone. According to comScore, Inc., in 2013, desktop and mobile Cyber Monday shopping pulled in nearly $2.1 billion in sales.

Our Advice: To be a successful cyber shopper, you need more than just a credit card and computer. Here are some tips that’ll help you shop safely and grab the best Cyber Monday deals.

Protect Your Identity

Every year there’s always a story or two about a mugging in a parking lot on Black Friday. Similarly, hackers may be lurking on Cyber Monday, just waiting to (virtually) pick your pockets.

Safely shop online using these tips for Cyber Monday (or any other day, for that matter):

Make sure your Web browser is updated and includes 128-bit encryption, which enables secure transactions.

Update your computer’s antivirus and malware protection.

Use a credit card to pay, and know its terms. Many credit cards include features that customers often overlook, such as added product insurance and the ability to dispute fraudulent charges or charges for merchandise that doesn’t arrive.

Consider whether to use your regular e-mail account or create a new one specifically for Cyber Monday shopping. This allows you to more easily identify transaction messages for all your Cyber Monday purchases and diverts follow-up marketing information from retailers to that account.

Print your transaction information or save it as a PDF on your computer. Most online retailers confirm this information via e-mail, but a backup copy is advised.

If it seems suspicious, it probably is. Trust your instincts and don’t follow through on any transaction that looks fishy.

After Cyber Monday, carefully check your credit card information online for at least a week or two afterward. Keep your eyes peeled for suspicious charges, and call the credit card company for help if you see anything untoward.

Plan Ahead

Get your ducks in a row before hitting the Web for the same reason you would before heading to a store. Prepping for your Cyber Monday shopping spree can be a simple two-step process:

Make your list.

Download Offers.com’s Chrome Extension, which will automatically and instantly alert you to the best coupon codes and product deals you can stack atop the holiday deals when you shop your favorite store online.

All Systems Go for the Best Deals

Some retailers open their bricks and mortar stores at crazy hours on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, and online retailers are following suit. Start looking for Cyber Monday deals as early as Sunday.

In your search for all the best Cyber Monday sales and deals, Offers.com can certainly alert you to last-minute events like Sears Cyber Monday sales, or direct you to the best deals on TVs,laptops,appliances,iPads & tablets, and more. Don’t forget to check each retailer’s main website for the latest deals, and be sure to follow their social accounts.

Factor shipping costs into the mix before you decide on the best deal. Most large online retailers offer well-publicized policies for free and discounted shipping, especially on days like Cyber Monday. Smaller retailers may not have favorable terms with shipping companies, or may try to make up for deeply discounted prices by jacking up the “handling” fees.

Sales tax is another item to check before you click. Though the fight is still on to keep Internet shopping a “tax-free zone,” retailers based in the state where you live may be required to charge you sales tax. Other retailers may be forced to charge you sales tax based on previous agreements with your state’s tax authority.

“Last-Chance” Tuesday

It used to be you only got one shot a year at Cyber Monday. But now, stores are trending toward stretching the savings into Tuesday in an effort to get more of your business.

Our advice? Don’t be dismayed – even if the hubbub of the Black Friday shopping weekend isn’t for you, the Christmas deals aren’t far away, and often are just as good.

The Bottom Line

What used to be a weekend now has become a full week of sales. Stores such as Walmart are changing their Black Friday sales models. We’re therefore here to tell you to not waste your time on charted strategies – regardless of the product you seek, you will be able to find a great deal on it all week long.

Lori is the Senior Content Manager at Offers.com. A wife and mother of two who can't seem to shake her taste for the finer things in life, Lori's always on the hunt for a great deal. She otherwise can be found spending time with her family and two dogs, traveling the world, or reading a good book (or three).